Apple sued over false advertising claim

Apple is being sued over allegations that it has falsely advertised the capabilities of the 20-inch iMac's screen.

The case, which has been brought by Kabateck Brown Kellner, Apple advertised both the 24-inch and 20-inch models of its iMac range as having the capability to display millions of colours.

KBK however, disputes that claim stating: "Indeed, the new 24-inch iMacs display 16,777,216 colours on 8-bit, in-plane switching (IPS) screens, as did the previous generation of 20-inch iMacs. But the new 20-inch iMac monitors do not even come close, displaying 98 per cent fewer colours (262,144).

"While Apple describes the display of both the 24-inch and 20-inch iMacs as though they were interchangeable, the monitors in each are of radically different technology. The 20-inch iMacs feature 6-bit twisted nematic film (TN) LCD screens, the least expensive of its type.

"The 20-inch iMac's TN screens have a narrower viewing angle, less colour depth, less colour accuracy and are more susceptible to washout across the screen."

It claims that the case is justified because Apple continued to advertise both models as ideal for professionals such as photographers, despite KBK claiming the 20-inch version is "particularly ill-suited to editing photographs because of the display's limited colour potential and the distorting effect of the colour simulation processes."